It's Just the Fear of Being Alone
by tinkerbelldetention101
Summary: “We’ve both traveled down this road before,” she murmured, tears brimming in her mismatched eyes. “Used to be that anything goes in the name of love. Not anymore.”


_**DISCLAIMER: I do not own T7S, any of its characters, or related contents. I do not own Reba McEntire or her song The Fear of Being Alone. I do not intend to profit from the following fanfiction. I intend no copyright infringement.**_

_A/N: Apparently I'm on a roll with these T7S fanfics tonight. LOL Hope you guys enjoy!_

**The Fear of Being Alone**

They sat together in a corner of the restaurant. They'd done this a few times by now; they knew the routine. They'd order dinner, chat a little, maybe have some wine, and then call it a night. Sometimes they'd think about saying it. Maybe. But they never did.

_We ordered up one more bottle of wine__  
__You told me your story I thought about mine__  
__You said when you lost her you lost everything__  
__It all started having a familiar ring_

Tonight was different. He'd just lost another girlfriend, and she'd just lost her boyfriend of the last two years. He had fallen in love with the girl, and wasn't sure what he had left without her. She had loved her boyfriend, and couldn't fathom life without him. His story was far too close to home for her. She could think of only one thing to do.__

_So I asked you to take me some place quiet__  
__We wound up at the river for the rest of the night__  
__Somewhere around the break of day__  
__I could hear it coming from a mile away_

"Let's go somewhere quiet," she whispered. He nodded and quickly sent for the check. He helped her put her coat on and they walked together to his car. She slid into the passenger seat and sat quietly staring out the window while he drove. Somehow they ended up at the old reservoir.

They sat up all night, just talking. Reminiscing. Remembering a better, happier time in their lives. By dawn, she knew what he wanted to say._  
_

_So don't say that word__  
__Not the one we both heard too much__  
__You may think you do but you don't__  
__It's just the fear of being alone_

"Don't," she whispered. "Don't say it."

"I want to," he whispered back. "I feel it, in here." He tapped his chest, right over his heart.

"We've both heard it too much," she said, shaking her head sadly. "You might think you do right now, but you don't. It's just the fear of being alone talking."

_Reckless hearts can clear a path__  
__Wider than a hurricane's aftermath__  
__We've both traveled down that road__  
__Where in the name of love anything goes_

"But I do," he whispered again. She shook her head more adamantly this time.

"No you don't. You did once, but not now. You love Lacey. Don't be so reckless that you ruin any chance you might have left with her," she admonished.

"Jacks, I-" he tried again, but she cut him off.

"We've both traveled down this road before, Steven," she murmured, tears brimming in her mismatched eyes. "Used to be that anything goes in the name of love. Not anymore."__

_So don't say that word__  
__Not the one we both heard too much__  
__You may think you do but you don't__  
__It's just the fear of being alone_

"I ne-" he started again. Again she cut him off.

"Don't say it, Steven, please. It's too painful to hear it from you," she sobbed. "It's just the fear of being alone talking, Steven, not your heart."__

_Like a child in the night__  
__With no one to hold you__  
__And tell you everything's gonna be all right_

His arms wrapped around her as she cried. "It's all right, Jacks. I mean it this time, I swear. I won't hurt you again."

She shook in his arms. It had been a while since she'd felt so safe, since anyone had told her everything would be okay.__

_I must admit it's been fun__  
__But that's no reason to jump the gun__  
__If this is real time will tell__  
__So let me bite my tongue and remind myself_

She pulled back slightly and looked up at his face, studying his eyes, looking for the truth behind his words. All she found was honesty and caring, and possibly even love. "These last few weeks have been fun, Steven, meeting at the restaurant and having dinner like we used to. But that's no reason to think that our relationship could be rekindled."

"I know," he murmured, wiping a stray tear off her face. "But don't you think you should give it a chance? Just to see if there's still something there?"

She considered for a long moment, thinking of all the consequences, of all the times he'd hurt her before. "I suppose," she murmured, "time will tell if this real, and I guess I can bite my tongue long enough to find out for sure."

He grinned and opened his mouth to say it.__

_So don't say that word__  
__Not the one we both heard too much__  
__You may think you do but you don't__  
__It's just the fear of being alone_

"Steven, please, not yet. It's too soon," she admonished. "We've both heard it too much lately from people who didn't mean it for it to mean anything right now. Besides, you might be wrong. I still say it's just the fear of being alone."

He threw his head back and laughed before he bent down and brushed a kiss across her lips. "I love you Jackie."

_A/N: So, wasn't that fun children? As in my previous two T7S fics, both of them seem out of character, but I think I pulled it off okay…Maybe…I don't know, you tell me. LOL Please review and let me know what you thought! ~Aideen Nicole_


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